Telescopic sight mounting



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OH' 395125,54@ SR May 26, 1970 J. R. SMILEY TELESCOPIC SIGHT MOUNTING Filed June 18, 1968 United States Patent O 3,513,549 TELESCOPIC SIGHT MOUNTING Jesse R. Smiley, 220 E. th, San Bernardino, Calif. 92404 Filed June 18, 1968, Ser. No. 745,650

Int. Cl. F41g 1/42 U.S. Cl. 33-50 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention is a sight mounting or sight mounting bar for mounting telescopic sights on firearms such as rifles. The mounting comprises a bar which has a swivel attachment at an intermediate point to a mounting post which post has a dovetail foot or tenon which secures to the transverse dovetail groove in the ritie normally occupied by a sight. The bar can move angularly around the mounting post during installation so that it aligns itself with the rifle barrel after which it is clamped. The mounting bar provides means for adjusting it at its ends so that its axis can be tilted angularly relative to the axis of the bore for adjusting the telescope axis in this plane.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to sight mountings for telescopic sights for firearms.

Telescopic sights are conventionally mounted above the rear part of the barrel of the firearm. Conventionally the mounting for the telescopic sight includes some type of mounting bar and in the past, typically such mountings have required drilling and tapping into the barrel of the riiie and if the drilling and tapping are not accurate the sight will not be properly aligned. The primary object of the invention herein is, therefore, to provide a simplified but effective sight mount for telescopic sights and one which particularly, is attachable to the rifle without drilling and tapping.

In a preferred form of the invention the sight mount comprises a longitudinal bar congurated to iit over and align itself with the upper part of the riiie barrel. The bar is attached by way of a mounting post or member which has a foot part or tenon which is dovetailed and which is held in the transverse dovetail groove in the top of the rie barrel normally occupied by the rear sight. The bar has swivelling engagement with the mounting post so that it can move angularly thereabout, and, therefore, accurately align itself with the barrel when being mounted, after which the bar is clamped to the barrel and this, in a preferred form of the invention is accomplished by way simply of a screw extending through the mounting bar threading into the mounting post. Particular means as described hereinafter are also provided for adjusting the ends of the mounting bar relative to the rifle barrel to provide for adjustment of the line of sight of the telescope relative to the bore of the rilie in a vertical plane, and in a horizontal plane also if necessary.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sight mount as described wherein the mount comprises a bar adapted to align itself with the rifle barrel and secured by way of an intermediate securing member lwhich allows lateral angular movement of the mounting bar, the attachment being by way of a member held in the dovetail sight groove of the rifle.

Another object is to provide a sight mount as in the foregoing wherein the bar is held by way of a screw passed through an intermediate aperture in the bar allowing for angular alignment during installation and 3,513,549 Patented May 26, 1970 ice threaded into the mounting post whereby the bar is then firmly clamped to the rie barrel.

Further objects and additional advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a rifle having the sight mount of the invention mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a sectional View taken along the line 2 2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the securement means for the mounting bar;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view through an end part of the mounting bar showing a modified form of adjustment means.

FIG. 7 is a sectional View taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, numeral y10 designates a riiie which may be a conventional rifie having a receiver 12 and a barrel 14 with a front sight 16. Numeral 20 designates a telescopic sight which may be a conventional type which is secured to the rifle by way of the sight mounting of the herein invention.

The sight mounting comprises a longitudinal bar 22 which is secured to the barrel of the rie as will be described. The cross section of the mounting bar 22 may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. It has laterally extending diverging side portions 24 and 26, the surface between them being convexly arcuate as shown at 28. The side portions or legs are coniigurated to engage the rie barrel 14 so that the bar aligns itself longitudinally with the barrel as will be described. The upper surface of the mounting bar 22 is flat and near its upper part it has laterally extending angular or pointed ribs 32 and 34 and between these ribs and the diverging legs 24 and 26 are longitudinal recesses 36 and 38. Ribs 32 and 34 are secured thereto as will be described.

At an intermediate point of the mounting bar 22 it has a vertical bore 44. At the upper end of this bore is a counterbore or countersink 46 and at the lower end is a counterbore 48 of larger size. The depth of the counterbore 48 is such that it is tangent to the deepest poriton gf the convex surface 28 on the underside of the mounting The riiie barrel has a transverse dovetailed groove as may be seen at 52 in FIG. 4 Iwhich normally holds or retains a rear sight. Numeral 54 designates a mounting post for the sight mounting having a transverse lower foot part or tenon 56 which is dovetailed as shown and which fits in and is received in the dovetailed groove 52. The end parts of the foot 56 are arcuate, that is, they form parts of a circle of substantially the same diameter as the counterbore 48 so that the mounting bar 22 is free to rotate angularly, that is, laterally with respect to the foot 56 of the mounting post before being clamped. The arcuate ends of the foot or tenon 56 are indicated at 60 and 62 in FIG. 5. The mounting post 54 has a threaded bore 64 adapted to receive a holding screw 66 having a head 68 which is received in counterbore 46. The screw 66 threads into the bore 64 in the mounting post 54. Before the screw 66 is tightened as may be seen, the mounting bar 22 is held in a swiveling position with respect to the mounting post S4 so that it can readily align itself directly with the barrel of the gun as the side portion or legs 24 and 26 engage the barrel as shown. During installation, when the bar 22 is aligned the screw 66 is then tightened up and the mounting bar 22 is clamped between the head of the screw 68 and the rifle barrel. The counterbore 48 provides clearance between tenon 56 and the bar 22 so that the bar is clamped between the rie barrel and the head 68 of screw 66.

The mounting bar 22 is adjustable in a vertical plane to adjust the telescopic line of sight relative to the bore of the rie. One form of such adjustment is illustrated in FIG. 3. Provided in the diverging leg 24 is a transverse bore 70 in which is a copper rivet 72 having a head 74. On the other side of the leg is a similar bore 70 in which is a copper rivet 72 having a head 74. Adjustment is by way of placing very thin washers or shims over the stems of the rivets 72 and 72 adjacent the head thereto to adjust the spacing of the end parts of the mounting bar from the rie barrel. Adjustments of the type just described are provided at both ends of the mounting bar so that as described, its longitudinal axis can readily be adjusted or set in a vertical plane.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a modified form of adjustment of the mounting bar in a vertical plane. In this form of the invention the legs 24 and 26 have threaded bores 80 and -80 in which are adjusting screws 82 and 82 which may be secured in position by lock nuts 84 and 84. FIG. 7 illustrates the manner of adjustment of the sighting bar by adjusting the screws at its opposite ends such as shown at 82 and 82'. By means of these screws the axis of the telescopic sight can be adjusted in a vertical or horizontal plane relative to the axis of the bore.

The telescopic sight is attached to the mounting bar means comprising clamping rings which clamp round the body of the sight 20 and which are then clamped to the mounting bar 20. One of these clamping rings is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 as designated at 90. Slplit rings are provided having diametrically opposed parts 92 and 94 as shown which are juxtaposed together. The part 94 has threaded bores 96 and 96 which receive holding screws 100 and 100' having heads as shown. The part 92 has bores 102 and 102 for the attaching screws and counterbores 104 and 104 in which are received the heads of the screws 100 and 100'.

The split ring part 94 at its lower side has a depending leg 108 on the inside of which is an angular recess 110 congurated to lit over the tapered rib 32 of the mounting bar 22. In the lower part of the split ring part 94 below the body of the sight 20 it has a transverse bore 112 which receives the stern 114 of a clamping rod member. On the right hand side of the split ring member 94 just above the clamping stern 114 it has an angular notch or recess 1'16 which provides a shoulder `118 complementary to the shoulder formed on the lower side of the rib 34 on the mounting bar 20. Numeral 120 designates a clamping member having an aperture 122 through which passes the threaded end part of the stem 1'14. The clamping member 120 has edge parts as shown configurated to engage the shoulders on the lower side of the rib 34 and the shoulder 118. Clamping is by way of a knurled knob 124 threaded onto the stern 114 and bearing against the clamping member 120. The upper surface of the mounting bar 22 has an arcuate groove 126 in it and the clamping stem 114 is received in this groove.

As may be seen when the knob 124 is loosened the clamp 120 can be disengaged from the split ring member 94 and the mounting bar 22 sufficiently such that the clamping ring can be disengaged from the bar. When the knob 124 is tightened up the clamping member 120 clamps the lower part of the split ring member 94 and the mounting bar 22 and similarly the mounting bar is clamped on the other side by the leg 108 on the split ring member 94. As may be seen, the clamping ring is rmly secured to the mounting bar in a fixed position, the engagement of the stem E114 in the groove in the mounting bar 22 preventing fore and aft sliding movement.

From the foregoing those skilled in the art will understand and appreciate the nature and construction of the invention and the manner in which it achieves and realizes all the objects and advantages as set forth in the foregoing 4 as Well as the many additional advantages that are apparent from the detiled description.

The foregoing disclosure is representative of preferred forms of the invention and is to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense, the invention to be accorded the full scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A telescopic sight mounting for a weapon having a barrel and a transverse dovetail top groove therein, comprising a mounting bar extending longitudinally above the barrel, said bar having means congurated to engage the barrel in alignment with the barrel, means for securing the said bar to the barrel, said means comprising a post member secured in said transverse dovetail top groove, and said bar having pivotal engagement with said post member whereby to allow angular lateral movement and adjustment of the bar relative to the barrel during installation and alignment and means whereby the bar is clamped to said post member.

2. A sight mounting as in claim 1 wherein said bar is pivotally attached by way of an aperture at an intermediate point of the mounting bar, engaging said post member, allowing angular lateral movement of both ends of the bar during alignment.

3. A sight mounting as in claim 2 wherein said securing means comprises a screw extending through the aperture in said mounting bar and engaged in said post member.

4. A sight mounting as in claim 1 wherein said post member has a dovetail transverse foot member received in the dovetail groove in the barrel.

'5. A' sight mount as in claim 1 including adjustable means at the ends of said mounting bar and engagea-ble with the barrel, said means being adjustable to adjust the longitudinal axis of the mounting bar relative to the axis of the barrel.

6. A sight mounting as in claim 5 wherein said adjustable means comprises members having stems extending through apertures in the leg portions and engageable with the barrel and adapted to carry shims to thereby adjust the relative positioning of the said bar relative to the barrel.

7. A device as in claim 5 wherein said adjustable means comprises pairs of set screws at the opposite ends of said bars.

8. A telescopic sight mounting for a weapon having a barrel and a transverse dovetail top groove therein, comprising a mounting bar extending longitudinally above the barrel, said bar having means congurated to engage the barrel in alignment with the barrel, means for securing the said bar to the barrel, said means comprising a post member secured in said transverse dovetail top groove, and said bar having pivotal engagement with said post member whereby to allow angular lateral movement of the bar relative to the barrel during installation and alignment and means whereby the bar is clamped to said post member, said post member having a dovetail transverse foot member received in the dovetail groove in the barrel, said mounting bar having lateral leg portions that engage the barrel, the mounting bar having a counterbore in the inner end of the aperture that receives the post member, the end parts of said foot member being astrcuate and itting Within the periphery of the said counterore.

9. A telescopic sight mounting for a weapon having a barrel and a transverse dovetail top groove therein, comprising a mounting bar extending longitudinally above the barrel, said bar having means conigurated to engage the barrel in alignment with the barrel, means for securing the said bar to the barrel, said means comprising a post member secured in said transverse dovetail top groove, and said bar having pivotal engagement with said post member whereby to allow angular lateral movement of the bar relative to the barrel during installation and alignment and means whereby the bar is clamped to said post 5 member, said post member having a dovetail transverse foot member received in the dovetail groove in the barrel, and said mounting bar having lateral leg portions with adjustable means for engaging the barrel.

10. A sight mount as in claim 5, wherein said bar is pivotally attached -by way of an aperture at an intermediate point of the mounting ibar engaging said post member allowing angular lateral movement of both ends of the bar during alignment.

11. A sight mounting as in claim 6 wherein said bar is pivotally attached by way of an aperture at an intermediate point of the mounting bar engaging said post member, allowing angular lateral movement of both ends of the bar during alignment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS SAMUEL S. MATTHEWS, Primary Examiner 

